Preparation

Butter a 9 inch metal cake pan with 2 inch sides, set aside

Place sugar, water and lemon juice in small heavy bottomed saucepan, stir to combine. Put the saucepan into the oven and bring to a boil. Swirl the mixture occasionally until the caramel becomes an amber color, about 8 minutes.

Pour the caramel into the prepared cake pan and distribute the butter evenly over the top. Place the apples, rounded side down over the caramel in a circular pattern, fitting them tightly.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a 9 inch diameter circle.

Drape the dough over the apples, tucking in the sides to cover completely.

Place into the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Check half way through cooking time and rotate pan if necessary for even browning.

When browned, remove from the oven and carefully invert onto a serving plate that will hold the tarte as well as the caramel. Remove the cake pan with tongs.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

Pâte Brisée (full recipe)

Ingredients

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ to ½ cup ice water

Preparation

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)

With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly add a bit more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.